Tenga ducks request for players` reprieve

By The guardian reporter

24th April 2012

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Tanzania Football federation’s president Leodegar Tenga categorically shirked a request for amnesty to Yanga playing duo that are yet to pay fines after being suspended as a result of pitch violence during their league match against Azam FC last month.

The TFF president pushed Yanga to the ropes when he told their official Mohamed Bhinda that the playing duo are bound to pay the fines and adhere to the imposed suspension.

Bhinda rose to his feet during the TFF annual general meeting concluded in Dar es Salaam on Sunday and apologized on behalf of the club’s players who are yet to pay the imposed fines.

Yanga duo of Stephano Mwasika and Jerry Tegete are each supposed to pay fines amounting to two million shillings imposed by the TFF’s Disciplinary and Reconciliation committee headed by former Police Commander Alfred Tibaigana early this month.

Tenga said he has no powers to lift the imposed fines and suspensions as the committee which made the decision has a full autonomy and discretionary powers.

“I’m not in a position to revoke the rulings made by the committee and personally I would have imposed stiffer penalties and or suspensions had I given the opportunity to do so”, said Tenga before delegates of the annual general assembly.

The president said football rules and regulations completely forbid players to assault or intimidate let alone to touch a referee during a match.

The rule is defined with black and white clarity that should a player attempt or assault a referee is subject to be flashed with straight red card (dismissal) with a maximum suspension of as high as six matches suspension.

However, Tenga who briefly featured for Yanga at the beginning of his football career before shifting to Nyota Africa and then Pan Africa in the mid 70’s, congratulated Bhinda for his courageous attempt to apologise.

The president said he is bound to observe the rules and regulations and there is no way the Yanga duo can be exempted from paying the fines.

“Personally I don’t make any sort of intervention or interference to decisions made by the committees and instead I do respect them, pronto!”, said Tenga

Yanga players were involved in the premiership’s most shameful incident on March 10 as they roughed up referee Israel Nkongo in match against Azam at the National Stadium that was followed by a number of suspensions and fines to their payers.

The episode would linger long in the memory of the clubs history with consequences of failing to defend the premiership title thereafter.

Yanga are chasing a third place finish, their worst position in the past five years in which they won three premiership titles.